Improvement in instkument foe digging post holes



@uitrit gta-trs 4strut @High JAMES W. HARPER, or XENIA, OHIO.`

Letters Patent No. 62,131, dated February 19, 1867.

IMPROVEMENT-1N INSTRUMENT ros mesme Pos'r HOLES.

@its Stimme trimm in in tipa Entersv ntint ma milling putt if tige smite.

TO ALL WHOM Il MAY CONCERN:

Be it known that I, J. lV. HARPER, of Xenia, in the county of Green, and State of Ohio, have invented aa new and useful Instrument for Digging Post Holes and Tile and Pipe Ditehes; and I 'do herebydeclare that the following is a full and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this specication- Figure 1 being a side view of the instrument.

Figure 2, an edge view thereof.

Figure 3, a central longitudinal section from side to side.

Like letters designate corresponding parts in all of the figures.

Thejinstrument is composed of a shaft, A, with a handle,` D, at the top; andtwo blades, C C, connected vwith the shaft by a bow-shank, B, substantially as represented in the drawings. The shaft A may be of iron or wood. The bow-shank B and blades C'C are made of steel, and are somewhat elastic, so that the blades may i s rin a art slifrhtl when ressure is applied between them. The lower edwes of the blades are shar bein P g P e Y P e P g bevelled or ground ofi` on the inside, so that the outside` may be vertical and straight. They have wings, b b,

v generally of only a part of their height, and bent round into a vertical plane at right angles, or nearly so, to

the planes of the blades, so that the edges ofthe opposite wings nearly meet, all substantially as shown. They are let into shoulders, c c, in the outside of the lower ends of the bow-shank B, so that' the outer surfaces' of all v shall be Hush and even. The ends ofthe bow-shank project down inside of the blades and are riveted or welded thereto. The Width of the blades depends on the size of the holes or ditches to bedug, generally about six or seven inches, and theirdistancc apart is about five or six inches.

The instrument is used by forcing theblades do'wn into the ground and then lifting out the earth Which' adheres between the blades. This adherence is caused by the compression of their slightly bevelled surfaces, by the springing of the blades together, being slightly separated by the pressure of the earth and partly by friction. After the earth is raised out of' the hole or ditch it is readily disengaged from' the bln-des by gently knocking the instrument on the ground or aganstsomething.

What I claim as my invention, and desire'to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The spring blades C C, of' rectangular form or coastruction,'and entirely separated on opposite sides, so that they may be sprung apart or away from each other, substantially asl and for the purpose herein specified.

The above specilieation oi' my improved machine for digging post holes and tile and pipe ditches signed by' me this 22d day of May, AgD. 1856.V i

J, W. HARPER.

Witnesses:

J. A. SExToN, W. K. MeKIBBEN. 

